Monotype is a one-of-a-kind print made by creating a plate through painting onto a smooth, non-absorbent surface such as glass or perspex, and then pressing paper against the painted image. That inspired printmakers to use an even broader range of material including textiles, metal and sand, and experiments with collagraphy grew as materials like acrylic and MDF became available.Īlthough a lot of collagraphy uses relief techniques, it is a process that can also incorporate other techniques, such as intaglio. During the early 20 th century, artists like Picasso, Klee and Braque started to use found object in their artwork. The digital image is printed out on fine-art grade paper using high-quality pigment inks to ensure it will not fade, and the advent of large format digital printers has enabled artists to experiment with scale.ĭigital technologies can also interact with traditional printmaking processes, such as the preparation of plates for screenprinting or photo etching, by acting as laser and engraving tools.Ĭollagraphy originates from the 19 th century and is a process that involves collaging and often gluing together a range of materials to form a ’printing plate’. The final artwork is a digital file containing all the data necessary for the print. Photographs, drawings and found objects can be scanned and used as the basis for the image. In digital print, the artist begins by creating or manipulating images using drawing, painting or photographic computer software. It cannot be a copy of another artwork, such as a painting, drawing or other original print, as this would define it as a reproduction. Amongst other things, digital technologies have inspired new ways of making prints, but debates regarding the definition of an ‘original’ digital print are ongoing.Ī digital print is currently considered an original print if the image was created with the sole purpose of being made as a print, in multiples. Since the 1990s, artists have experimented digital technology.

The frame is then laid flat against paper or fabric and ink is forced through the mesh using a ‘squeegee’ (a rubber blade).Ī multicoloured image is built up using subsequent layers, and each area of colour must be printed separately using a different screen, meaning the more colours there are in a screenprint, the more complex the process. The uncovered emulsion will harden due to light exposure, and then the liquid emulsion protected by the cut-out is washed off, creating a stencil. The image or shape, either as a cut-out or as a shape printed on a transparent sheet, is placed on top. In screenprinting, fabric is stretched tightly onto a wooden frame and then covered with a light-sensitive emulsion. Currently, the use of synthetic materials such as polyester is more common. It is a form of stencil printing, achieved by forcing ink through a fine mesh material, traditionally silk, which is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘silkscreen printing’. Popularised in the 1960s by Pop Artists Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, screenprinting is associated with bold, graphic images and a smooth finish.

Intaglio print